Dutch tie-up on smart cities may be a carry forward of UPA pact

Dutch tie-up on smart cities may be a carry forward of UPA pact

A Dutch official delegation, which came to India on March 23 to explore business and investment opportunities for Amsterdam, is also slated to discuss smart cities, a focus area of the current Narendra Modi government. However, the Netherlands government is expected to share knowledge with its Indian counterpart on smart cities as per the memoranda of understanding the two sides had signed during the previous UPA regime.

Replying to an e-mailed question on how the Netherlands government wants to collaborate with India in the smart city project, Angelique Meyer, representing Urban Solutions Amsterdam Smart City, listed out urban planning, waste management, water management and cycling infrastructure as the key areas of focus. Meyer told Business Standard that these were the topics "acknowledged by your ministry of urban development when they signed an MoU with our ministry of infrastructure and environment in June 2013" on exchange of knowledge.

The team, led by Amsterdam mayor Eberhard van der Laan, is visiting India for a week till March 28.

To a query on the Indian cities that Amsterdam will like to pick for conversion into smart cities, Meyer, whos part of the delegation, said, "Mumbai and Amsterdam signed an MoU in 2012." The two sides are already exchanging knowledge on smart city development, she pointed out. "The University of Amsterdam and the Indian Institute of Science in Bengaluru are also working together." Amsterdam is looking at co-operating with Bengaluru too on cycling infrastructure.

On the feasibility of 100 smart cities, that the current government has proposed to make in the next few years, Meyer said, "We, in Amsterdam, acknowledge the steep growth of cities in India and the challenges this growth brings along for the government and the people of India." Wanting to partner India in the 100 smart cities project, she said, "Amsterdam can support the project by sharing knowledge in areas that have been tried, tested and true in our city such as cycling infrastructure, water and waste management, sports infrastructure and electric mobility."